Sunday Jan 20th, had a great evening with my brothers and father and uncle we are ready to start heading out. But looked at the bike and had a tire problem. My brother assisted me in changing my tire and tube, first tire bit the dust after 700 miles on the trip. We finally headed out with Tom, Heidi leading then myself and then my brother Bob and headed to hwy 83. Ending up being some 20 miles uphill and climbed 2000 feet in elevation. At the end of the road we enter Sonoita which intersects with highway 82 which we start on tomorrow. My brother Tom treated us all at the Steak House, which was really good. We all departed from that part where my brothers, dad. and uncle headed back to their world and Sandy and I stayed that night parked at the fairgrounds.

Monday Jan 21st, Soniota is a ranching community also have quarter horses where they have racing and raising quarter horses. They have an inn here which looks like a big red barn which was designed from the owner of Secretariat, the famous horse. Leaving this morning I spotted a herd of antelope on the left side of the road. They were grazing until I went by and they looked at me, and they were probably saying there is that guy from Las Vegas. Situated on Hwy 90 going to Sierra Vista there is an historical marker Fort Huachuca 1877 situated on the southern route to the Pacific Ocean brought law and order to the Arizona territory protecting settlers, miners, travelers, and immigrants. Troops won the surrender of Jeronimo.  Generals Purshing and Wood served here. The army electronics proving ground is still on active status.

This is Tuesday morning, Jan. 22nd just leaving Sierra Vista, Az. heading south on Hwy 92 on our way to Douglas Az. As I am leaving the elevation is the mid 4000's going past the mountains around here and some of them have white stuff on them, I think they call that snow. After a good morning's ride at the end of Hwy 92 where it junctions into 80 we will do 80 east to the town of Bisbee. Bisbee is a mining community and has been for many years. It's elevation is about 5300 an ongoing mining community here, going through town you can homes throughout, but also mine tailings, remainders after they have taken all the ore they wanted, which is piled up around the homes, making it not the greatest scenery for the home owners, but great mountains in this area. As the intersection of 92 and 80 there is a roundabout, which I thought was some of those foreign things. I managed to make the right turn and heading east on 80.

This is Wednesday, Jan 23rd, we spent the night in Douglas Az.  border town as I am leaving town here they have a plaque to the Douglas Veterans Memorial in honor of all veterans. They have listed here the different wars, WWI, WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Irag. Going down Hwy 80 from Douglas on my way to Mexico Hwy 9 is a moument here about Jeronimo. Jeronimo last Apache chief with his followers surrendered Sept 6, 1886 to General Nelson A. Miles and U. S. Army Lutientant Woods.

This is Thursday, Jan. 24th we made it in to New Mexico and stayed in an RV Park just on the west side of the Chiricahau mountains there is a great national park area with lots of activities and there is even some snow on top. This morning I left that area and now on hwy 9 going east and about 14 miles later I came to a little community called Anamas which is a farming, ranch community with a high school, elementary school, a few houses and a couple of large grain cylos. It is a cloudy day and being in the 5000 elevation the clouds are not that high above me. About 20 miles on hwy 9 is a sign that says the Continental Divide with an elevation of 4520 ft. Bisbee which is 5200 ft., so does that indicate it is all down hill, (I doubt that). Wishful thinking. About 25 miles down the road a town calledPlayas and there is an historical marker titled Plyas Siting. In 1902 Phelps Dodge & Company built the El Paso and Southwestern railroad to link El Paso Tx. with Bisbee Az. And eventually with several other mining companies throughout the region. The next town we came across on hwy 9 is called Hachita It was established in 1875 as a mining camp. The mountains supplied silver and copper, which brought more residents. Soon after 1900 the railroad tracks were laid 9 miles east of Hachita which some residents started their own community called Wachita. Hachita also was a base for horses when the trentative expeditions was organized in retaliation of Pancho Villa raid upon Columbus in 1916. Made it through Columbus, NM. Columbus is also the junction of hwy 9 and hwy 11. 11 goes into New Mexico and then into Interstate 10.

This is Saturday morning Jan. 26th just leaving Columbus NM. heading to El Paso Tx. About half way through New Mexico on highway 9, a little cloud a little sunshine and a lot of cold. Were about 4000 ft here in Columbus. Coming through some of the plains area and some of these knowels have quite a bit of rock to them. Somebody has stopped along at a couple different points here and made little rock formations, some three, four or five piled up, making little sculptures. We spent the night just out of El Paso.

Sunday morning, Jan. 27th, we are approaching El Paso, but still in New Mexico but overlooking the city of El Paso. We plan to rest today and all day tomorrow to do maintenance on bikes and replenish the motor home and continue on Tuesday morning.

This is Tuesday, Jan 29th. going through El Paso on Hwy 85 next to the Rio Grande with a fence and the other side is Mexico. A border between two countries with housing on Mexico side and the city of El Paso on the other. A small body of water between two countries, (two worlds). On May 4th 1598 Don Juan De Onate Adelant Ado and Captain General Governor of New Mexico, first name El Paso Del Rio Del Norte, through this passage was the most notable route between the Atlantic and the Pacific through the Rockies Mountains today run the great trunk lines of telegraph and railroad which marks the place and perpetuates the name. Also here the Camino Real  for more than 200 yrs, the Camino Real or Royal Road was a major route for transporting commercial goods from Mexico City to Sante Fe and Taos, first traveled by Juan De Onate during his 1598 expedition into New Mexico. The Camino Real followed the Rio Grande to downtown El Paso and continue north into New Mexico. When the Rio Grande was established as a U.S. and Mexico border in 1598, this section of the old Camino Real became part of the United States. Well we hit our first 1,000 miles today. We only have 11,000 more to go. Out of El Paso on Hwy 62 which is called the Texas Mountain Trail, how lucky can I be by avoiding the freeway to take a mountain. Here at the top is a border patrol station, stopped, yes they were expecting me because Sandy was over here flirting with the border patrol guys again so they knew I was coming.

This is Wednesday, Jan 30th. We are on the Texas Mountain Trail on Hwy 62 heading east. A little breeze behind me and little of a down hill, how nice. Here on Hwy 62 are some salt flats, (nothing like the Utah salt flats), there is an historical marker that says Resentment over the prior control of the salt lakes in this region often called Guadalupe Lakes led to the El Paso salt war 1877, which entail many lives and much property. Over 1 millions years ago a large shallow lake in this area in El Paso Valley, dried up and left salt. Salt was sacred to the Apache and Tigua Indians who used it in the tanning of animal hides and condiment as well as a preservative for food. Hispanic population depended on salt for condiments and preservatives. The late 1870's a war erupted as the El Paso businessmen hoped to take control of the salt beds for the hispanic communities. The war resulted in several deaths and property and nearly caused arm conflict between the U. S. and Mexico. Eventually the salt flats were claimed , so the hispanic and Tigua Indians had to purchase the salt which they at one time had for free. Today only the barren winds blowing over the flats to remind us of the turbulant time in history.

Thursday, Jan 31st we spent the night at the intersection of East 62 and South 54. Got a little on the windy side yesterday we ended up spending the night at the base of Texas highest point, Guadalupe Mountain, elevation over 8700 ft. My brother, Paul thought we were crazy and since spending a weekend with us he knows we are crazy, and now I have to agree with him because I am taking this Texas Mountain Trail.

Friday Feb 1st, we reached the town of Van Horn last night and spent the night there, taking off this morning on Hwy 90 going south. About 12 miles from Van Horn there is an historical marker. Van Horn Wells. Only dependable water supply in miles of Aratrain used by Indians for centuries. Named for Jefferson and Van Horn established in route to a fort in El Paso in 1849 for Lutenient J.J.Van Horn who fought the indians in 1859. Wagon trains from south texas welcomed the water from wells as well as soldiers from San Antonio to the El Paso military road. Riders of Jackass Mail San Antonio to San Diego stopped here and the Butterfield mail line built a stage stand here at the wells, in 1859. The town of Van Horn grew in 1880.

This is Sat. Feb 2nd. on Hwy 90 did about 52 miles or so south of Van Horn spent the night on the side of the road next to the train tracks and listened to the trains go by. Just made into the town of Marfa, where here was what the west was about on our to Alpine.